School of Physician Assistant Studies Preceptor Information

School of PA Studies Mission 

To prepare and mentor students with innovative curricula to provide primary and other specialty care for diverse global communities focusing on vulnerable, underserved, and rural populations.

Information for Preceptors

A clinical preceptor is a vital part of the School of PA Studies’ teaching team. Preceptors supervise, mentor, observe, and provide feedback for PA students as they further develop their clinical reasoning and technical skills.

Rotations run from August to August and include eight 6-week rotations, plus three Professional Practice Seminar (PPS) weeks back on campus, and a two-month online seminar in Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Health Care.  If you are interested in precepting a Pacific PA student, scroll down to the Precepting Opportunities section for a link to an online interest form.

All students are required to complete core rotations in family medicine, internal medicine, inpatient medicine, surgery, and emergency medicine. Additionally, all students are required to spend time during the clinical year with clinicians who are board certified in women’s health, behavioral health, and pediatrics.
Pacific PA students complete BLS, ACLS, PALS, HIPAA, BBP, and OSHA training prior to the start of their clinical phase.

Clinical Phase Placements: Coast to Coast

We are a travel program!

States that are red on the above map of the US indicate that there is at least one site there that is currently taking PA students for rotations during the Clinical Phase.

Our students get to:

• Complete clinical rotations all over the United States
• Travel to and learn in diverse environments
• Have rotations within Rural Health Care and Global Health Care for students on those tracks
• Learn how to treat patients with varying degrees of access to resources
• Discover where they want to live and work after graduation

Precepting Opportunities

Interested in precepting? Complete our 5-question Preceptor Interest online form.

During the clinical phase of their training, students participate in a variety of rotation types. We offer precepting opportunities to PAs, NPs, MDs and DOs in the following practice settings and beyond:

• Family Medicine
• Internal Medicine
• Inpatient Medicine
• General Surgery
• Surgical subspecialties
• Dermatology
• Emergency Medicine
• Rural/Underserved
• Women’s Health
• Pediatrics
• Behavioral Health
• Urgent Care

*Data is based on approximate numbers from 2017-2020. Clinical rotations are fluid and subject to change.

Current Tracks

Our program also invites preceptor availability for opportunities in our specialized tracks:

Hawaii Outreach Initiative: Designed for students with a strong connection to Hawaii and who plan to return to the islands to practice as a PA

Rural Health Care Track: Designed to better prepare students who plan to work in rural locations, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and Hawaii

Global Health Care Track: Designed for students interested in serving a diverse global population

Preceptors may share precepting responsibilities with their healthcare team.

Preceptor Benefits

Preceptors for our program enjoy benefits that include:

• Giving back to the profession
• Development of leadership skills
• New connections with next generation of providers
• Chance to determine fit prior to making a job offer
• Adjunct clinical faculty appointment
• Lecturing opportunities (in person and remote)
• Recognition certificate
• Free access to Pacific University’s online library database (including Up-To-Date)
• Category I CME for PA-C preceptors and Category II CME for NP, MD, DO preceptors